Earlier this fall, Katie and I were adamant about making donuts. We couldn’t get it out of our heads. So one long weekend when we were all home, Katie, Audrey (who you might remember from the 100 Chocolate Creme Pie Challenge), and I decided to make 3 dozen different types of donuts: Cinnamon Peach, Chocolate-Chocolate Chunk, and Carrot Cake. As you may have noticed, I have a thing for coconut and carrots, so these Carrot Cake Donuts trumped all as my favorite flavor.

{ Lovin’ from the oven, Chelsea }

Donuts

Makes about 12 mini donuts

¾ cup AP flour

¼ cup old-fashioned oats

½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp sea salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

¼ cup brown sugar

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

2 tbsp vanilla almond milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

¾ cups grated carrots (about 2 large carrots)

2 tbsp chopped walnuts

1 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Coat a donut tin with cooking spray. We used a mini donut tray for bite-sized deliciousness!

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

In a separate bowl, stir together the brown sugar, unsweetened applesauce, almond milk and vanilla extract.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until fully combined. Fold in the carrots and walnuts. Stir in the lemon juice.

Pipe the batter into the greased donut tin and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until a toothpick can be inserted and removed cleanly.

While the donuts are baking, toast the coconut in a small toaster oven until slightly browned and crispy. If you don’t have a toaster oven, simply toast the coconut in the oven after the donuts are done. To do so, spread the shredded coconut on a cookie sheet. Bake for 7-8 minutes, stirring frequently and watching closely. When the coconut begins to brown, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool on the pan.

FROSTING

2/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut

¼ cup coconut butter

1 tsp almond extract

1/3 cup powdered sugar

To make the frosting, mix together the coconut butter, almond extract, and powdered sugar until fully combined. Once the donuts have cooled completely, dunk the top of each donut into the frosting and then into the toasted coconut. Eat up!